Ladder.



0. K. PUTNAM.

LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-20, l9l5.

Patented J 11116 20, 1916.

Inventor Witnesses Attorneys OLIVER K. PUTNAM, OF ORANGE, CALIFORNIA.

LADDER.

Application filed November 20, 1915.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER K. PUTNAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Orange, in the county of Orange and State of California,have invented a new and useful Ladder, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a novel meanswhereby the tread of a ladder may be assembled readily with the stile ofthe ladder, and whereby the stile may be bound firmly on the end of thetread.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 shows in front elevation, a portion of aladder wherewith the device forming the subject matter of thisapplication has been assembled; Fig. 2 is a detail enlarged from Fig. 1;Fig. 3

is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1

Fig. t is an elevation showing a portion of the stile; Fig. 5 is a planof the support; Fig. 6 is a cross section showing a modified form of theinvention.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates 8 forming a broadened base forthe tread.

2, and parallel fingers 9 extended through the stile 1, the fingers 9carrying washers 10 and nuts 11. By tightening up the nuts 11, the endof the tread 2 is bound against the stile 1, and by tightening up thenut 5, the support 6 is bound against the under face of the tread 2. Oneadvantage in fashioning the support 6 of U-shape is that it can bestraddled onto the bolt 3 without removing the nut 5. Since the fingers9 are parallel, the support 6 can move endwise of the stile 1 to tightenup the tread 2 when the nuts 11 are rotated. If the upwardly projectingends of the bolts 3 are considered objectionable, a skilled mechanicwill be competent to countersink them into the tread 2. If desired, astrifp 50 may be applied to the outer faces 0 the stiles 1, be-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 211, 1916.

Serial No. 62,544.

tween the nuts 11, the strip being held in place by means of securingelements 51. The strips 50 serve to reinforce the ladder against sidebending, and also prevent the nuts 11 from rotating.

One of the principal advantages of the present invention is that thedevice provides means whereby a worn step may be replaced readily by anew one, it being a matter of common knowledge that the lower steps of aladder generally wear out before the upper ones.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings the stile is denoted by the numeral 53, thetread at 5 1, the support being shown at and the nuts on the support at56. The reinforcing strip appears at 52. In this form of the invention,the reinforcing strip is narrow enough so that it does not interferewith the rotation of the nuts 56. In other words, the strip 52, unlikethe strip 50, does not constitute a holding means for the nuts.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a ladder,a stile; a tread; a projection depending from the tread; a support onwhich the tread rests, the support embodying a bend which engages theprojection closel diverging arms forming a broadened ase for the tread,and parallel fingers extended through the stile; and stile engagingtightening devices on the ends of the fingers.

2. In a ladder, a stile; a tread; a projection carried by the tread; asupport on which the tread rests, the support embodying a band which isengaged in the projection, and arms projecting through the stile; nutson the arms and coacting with the outer face of the stile; and areinforcing strip extended longitudinally of the stile and adapted toprevent the stile from bending sidewise, the strip being engaged withthe nuts to hold the latter against rotation.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses,

OLIVER K. PUTNAM.

Witnesses:

DOROTHY IIAYNEs, A. D. Rrroons.

flopiea at thin patent may be obtained for five eente each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

v aahington, 1D. '0.

